'It felt like the sea was coming in - it was a nightmare'

Victims spoke yesterday of their ordeals and of dramatic efforts made to rescue them. "It felt like the sea was coming in," said Shirley Start in Evesham, on the banks of the Avon - where many people in the town remained trapped last night.

"We were all really scared when we saw the water rising and rising, said Ms Start, owner of the Northwick hotel. "At one point, it was one panel away from the top doors of the reception. Some people were having dinner and some were in their rooms - it was a nightmare."

At its worst, the water rose to six feet, forcing guests to the upper floors. Even yesterday, with water receding to a mere three feet, the only way out of her premises was by boat. "They took a few people out last night, and a few this morning, by rescue boat. Those were people who lived nearby and wanted to go home." More than 40 guests had been in the hotel when the floods hit it at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Up to 20 children were trapped at the Vale of Evesham special school, forced to spend the night on Friday before being able to go to their homes on Saturday. Yesterday, the water began falling in the Worcestershire town, one of the worst-hit areas, but was still high enough that boats were needed to help people to safety.

In Tewkesbury, 2,000 people spent Saturday night in emergency centres. The Red Cross were called to evacuate 20 patients from Tewkesbury hospital. And the Gloucestershire town remained cut off yesterday. Details of one of the most dramatic rescues emerged yesterday.

David Quaterman, 42, told how he pulled a man through the sunroof of a submerged Mitsubishi Shogun in Gloucester on Friday night. "I could see someone struggling behind the glass. It was misted up but I could see hands on the windscreen. "I ripped off my high visibility vest and took my steel-toed boots off, and jumped in," said Mr Quaterman, a contract worker from Slough. The man in the car had appeared to be in shock: "He seemed more worried about keeping his fags dry than anything else. He was holding them above his head."

Where floods receded, and a massive clean-up operation began across the country, individual households began assessing what they had lost and what to do.

Jo Watson, 34, of Bideford-on-Avon in Warwickshire, said her insurers had told her that her policy had been inadvertently cancelled earlier this year, so now she was left with a £15,000 bill. "It's a real mess," she said, after water up to two feet deep inundated her home over the weekend.

"Dirty water is still in the house. I couldn't believe it when I spoke to the insurance company. I'm now in dispute with them and my bank, and it's the last thing I need."